


When Will You Accept Yourself?

by orphan_account



Category: LazyTown
Genre: And sportacus loves him, Fluff, He's a sof boy, Hurt/Comfort, I'd say it turns out Fine, Insecure Robbie rotten, M/M, Swell even
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-04
Updated: 2017-04-04
Packaged: 2018-10-11 04:46:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10455309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Even if you love someone more than there are stars in the sky, that love doesn't always carry through. You can love someone to the moon and back, but you can't force them to do the same for themselves. Still, you can try.Or, Robbie is far too critical of his body, and Sportacus wants nothing more than to change that.





	

However unintentionally, Robbie flinched at Sportacus' touch at times. For awhile, Sportacus chalked it up to fear of being hurt, but as time pressed on, it became less and less likely that he was afraid of him inflicting pain. After all, everybody knew that was something he just didn't do, not ever. So if not that, what made him jerk away?

"Why are you so warm?" Robbie murmured blearily, voice cracking from not having used it for the past hour or so. The two had been sitting together in Robbie's trademark orange chair, Sportacus absently stroking him on the back for the sake of having something to do with his hands.

"Why are you so cold?" Was Sportacus' response, and if he thought it was clever, Robbie definitely did not. Or at least, the loud scoff emanating from him suggested as much.

Sportacus readjusted his seating, moving his hands along with him to get into a more comfortable position, and when he went to relax again, Robbie all but jumped at his fingers brushing against his abdomen.

"Sorry! Did I scare you?" But Robbie didn't look startled so much as, what was it, embarrassed? It was similar to the way he reacted to his plans being foiled, the hardened jawline, the teeth clasping onto his lower lip, all of it. The telltale signs of him feeling humiliated were unmistakable.

" _No,_ " Robbie huffed, bringing his knees to his chest in a petulant manner.

"Then what was that?" The question was obviously unsavory to Robbie's taste, judging by his harshly grit teeth, and Sportacus could tell that this was going to be a sensitive topic. Not that he was going to back down, of course, but it would be difficult to push through.

"Nothing." On occasion, Robbie will give the impression that he really does want to discuss something, whether it be to vent or just share unspoken ideas, yet refuse to do it. This so happened to be one of those occasions, and Sportacus was highly aware of it.

"Didn't seem like nothing," he countered, and Robbie appeared genuinely stunned that his lies were not as opaque as he'd assumed. It surprised him every time that Sportacus was more analytical than what he'd originally thought, regardless of how constantly he proved himself to be. 

Robbie wished he hadn't responded so strongly, because if not for that mistake, they'd still be having an average, comfortable time. But because he couldn't handle a simple dilemma like this one, they were stuck in the situation. He wasn't sure how to dig them out, either, as that wasn't his usual job. 

"Because it wasn't," Robbie admitted, shoulders relaxing from their previously defensive state. "But it's also stupid and might as well be nothing, so there." 

Sportacus shook his head at this, leaning in closer so that their faces were mere inches away from one another. A few seconds, and then he engulfed Robbie in a wholehearted embrace. "No, it's not stupid."

"You don't even know what  _it_ is." Even so, Robbie clutched just as tightly onto Sportacus' steady form. 

"But I want to." The way Sportacus spoke was undeniably gentle and honest, and it made Robbie want to spill everything in front of him because he was so good to talk to about these kinds of things. Yet, he still stumbled around a bit.

"It's just..." And he couldn't finish his sentence again. He could feel Sportacus begin to pull away, but he wasn't ready to look him in the eye just then, so he resisted the movement. Though he could have easily overpowered Robbie, he understood the signal and didn't break the hold. "I don't like it when people touch my stomach."

"Why not?" The dreaded but necessary question escaped Sportacus' lips, making Robbie mutter a barely audible curse. 

"Because- Because," Robbie stammered, surprised that it was this hard to explain. The words were all there, he knew what he should say, and it still remained lodged in his throat, as afraid to be heard as Robbie was to speak it. "Because I hate it." He'd said it, the truth was out; why didn't he feel any better?

This time, Robbie couldn't convince Sportacus to not back up, and now he had to see those insufferably questioning blue eyes. What a nightmare. "What do you mean you hate it?" 

"What do you mean 'what do I mean'?" Wasn't it obvious enough, or was Sportacus teasing him? It didn't match up with his usual behavior, but Robbie was paranoid now, wondering if this had been a bigger mistake than he'd anticipated. "You of all people should understand."

Sportacus didn't know what to say to that. If he was the one person meant to comprehend, then he supposed nobody understood. That conclusion made more sense to him than anything else. "I don't."

"It's- It's the opposite of yours."

"Mine?"

"Yours."

Robbie looked fixed to cry, and Sportacus was struggling with finding a way to aid him. "Is that what it's about? You want to be toned?"

"Not even," said Robbie, avoiding the other man's inquiring eyes. "If I could just be thinner, I'd be fine, but I can't even be that!" He finally broke on the last word, nose twitching as he began to sob. As valiantly as he tried to quell his tears, it only came to where they increased.

"No, no, no," Sportacus pleaded, setting his hands on Robbie's shoulders to still their tremors. "That's not something to be ashamed of. None of you is something to be ashamed of."

"Why not?" It was Robbie's turn to ask such things, and Sportacus was temporarily dumbstruck at the strange question. "See, even y-"

"Stop, stop." This was more forceful than he intended, but it got the message across. Though still tearful, Robbie appeared ready to listen. "You just caught me off guard is all. You are nothing to be ashamed of, because you are absolutely perfect."

"Shut up," Robbie sighed. He wanted to believe Sportacus, honestly and truly, but it was hard enough to accept that he loved him at all, much less to this extent.

"I'm serious." Sportacus then took Robbie's jaw in his hands, unexpectedly delicate with his touch. Someone as strong as him could easily cause hurt, but he didn't. "Look at your pretty face," he cooed, grinning at Robbie, who only stared in return. "And your shoulders, and your arms, and your chest, and..."

Robbie had fallen into the rhythm of this, leaning into Sportacus' hands as he glided those careful fingers down his body, so when he paused, he got a little antsy. "And?"

The weight of Sportacus' palms were barely noticeable as he laid them on Robbie's middle. "And your stomach!"

He almost pushed Sportacus away, then managed to stop himself from doing so. He did like the feeling, and the only bothersome part about it was how self conscious he was about that particular area. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything," Sportacus said cheerily, hugging Robbie close to him once again. "I just want you to someday understand how good you are."

Robbie really didn't know what to say to that one either, so he let his actions do the speaking in place of words. The way his eyebrows slanted upwards as he pressed a grateful kiss against Sportacus' lips, for example, said "Thank you".

**Author's Note:**

> the title is unashamedly stolen from the song "accept yourself"


End file.
